Azirah Hashim is Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. She has held ​several leadership roles including Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Institute, Director of the Centre for ASEAN ​Regionalism and Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics.

In 2023, she was awarded Honorary membership of the Linguistic Society of the Philippines for distinguished contribution ​to research in language and linguistics. She was also elected Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in April 2023. Her ​research interests include English in multilingual contexts, English in higher education in ASEAN, and Language and Law. ​Publications include English in Southeast Asia and ASEAN: Transformation of Language Habitats, Routledge co-authored ​with Gerhard Leitner (2021) and Communicating with Asia: the Future of English as a Global Language, Cambridge ​University Press co-edited with Gerhard Leitner and Hans-Georg Wolf (2016).

She is President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA) (https://aila.info/) from 2021 to 2024 and is ​Founding President of the Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics. In addition, she is an executive committee member ​of the Asia Pacific Languages for Specific Purposes and Professional Communication Association. Other current roles ​include Humboldt Ambassador Scientist of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany (https://www.humboldt-​foundation.de/en/), member of the Standing Working Group of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Education and member of ​the steering group for the Community of Practice in ASEAN Higher Education, RIHED-SHARE.

She is on the editorial and advisory board of journals such as English Today, World Englishes, International Journal of ​Applied Linguistics, Journal of Sociolinguistic Studies, GEMA Journal of Language Studies, Journal of Intercultural ​Communication and is also Chief Editor of the ASEAN Journal of Applied Linguistics.